sweet potato help for the frazzled

[teetime]

So, I've bitten off a bit more than I can chew with hosting xmas eve dinner, working Monday and maybe part of Tue (thinking I'll have to ask for last minute leave), and not being willing to cut short time visiting my babies (who are still in the NICU).

Here's xmas eve menu

Roast pork loin - Marcella Hazan's milk curd recipe (http://www.dinneralovestory.com/marcellas-braised-pork/)
Roast sweet onions
Brussel sprouts with bacon (DH in charge)
Salad - Mixed greens with candied pecans, blue cheese, and craisins

DH was going to make dessert but didn't have time for prepping today and I'll need him setting up house Tuesday so called in my sister to buy something

So, to round out the meal we've got piles of sweet potatoes but no recipe.  My mom does this thing where she cooks the potatoes ahead of time then cuts them into rounds and bakes with an orange butter glaze (sweet but not candied).  But with the pecans is this too much sugar?  Any savory recipes you all have to offer?  Mashed would be okay but I think cubes more festive? 

I realize this is a small potatoes thing to figure out and worry about but I'm feeling too many other things pulling at my attention strings!

[diablita]

how many people and how fancy are you trying to be?

One of the most delicious sweet potato preparations I've had is just sweet potatoes baked low and slow (350 for several hours, all piled on top of each other in the toaster) until they're super soft and their sugar is caramelized.  Then split and add a little pat of butter and enjoy.

[cgraz]

You're already doing roasted sweet onions, but that is one of the things I often use - I just cube up the sweet potatoes with some chunks of sweet onion, toss the whole shebang in olive oil, season with a little salt and pepper, and roast all together. Definitely a good set-it-and-forget-it kind of dish, and it can be done at temps with other things in the oven, usually, too, as it's not that fussy. There are variations with other herbs or seasonings to fancy it up slightly, but no matter what, you really can't go wrong.

[merigayle]

I made a sweet potato salad for Thanksgiving that was divine. Basically roasted cubed sweet potatoes cooled and mixed woth a mayo (with a little curry and seasonings), dried cranberries and sliced green onions. I could get the recipe when not on phone or look for my thanksgiving thread, i had several savory sweet potato recipes there.

[teetime]

Thanks all.  I realized this morning that we have about 12 lbs of potatoes so I'm thinking I'll do my mom's dish (can bake the potatoes tonight and assemble and second bake to set the glaze tomorrow) or a slightly sweet mashed dish and a savory cubed version.  Meri, I would love help from your recipe file with this savory cubed version since we are having onions already which would make cgraz' dish a bit repetitive (and we are having craisins in the salad)

Dia it's not a huge crew ... our parents (4) my sibs (2) and some friends (2 or 3) plus us.  So 9 or 10.  Baked with butter would have been fine but they are totally misshapen and different sizes.

[merigayle]

here is one i almost made at Thanksgiving:

http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=1898737363&group=0&frame_type=a&blog=3322938&link=aHR0cDovL2JhbGFuY2VkcGxhdHRlci5jb20vd2lsZC1yaWNlLXN3ZWV0LXBvdGF0by1zYWxhZC13aXRoLXBlcGl0YXMv&frame=1&click=0&user=0

Here is the one i made which was like a potato salad, served cold.

http://www.homesicktexan.com/2011/11/sweet-potato-salad-cranberries-and.html

I did not put nuts in it though.

http://splashofsomething.com/2013/04/05/out-of-the-rut-barley-risotto-with-spinach-and-sweet-potatoes/

http://thecreeksidecook.com/crash-hot-sweet-potatoes/#axzz2oJVRdvjY

[teetime]

Thanks, Meri. Those crashed potatoes look very interesting.

[merigayle]

you know I have endless recipes, as long as they are not meat based!!! Seriously though, i made a small test run of the sweet potato salad with the mayo for THanksgiving and ate THE ENTIRE BOWL in one sitting. I just could not stop

[Courtney]

Omg, I can't wait to make the hot crash sweet potatoes. 

[merigayle]

Omg, I can't wait to make the hot crash sweet potatoes.

[rocketgirl]

I do savory sweet potatoes:

Peel (half-assedly when I do it)
Cut in chunks
Add olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and plenty of rosemary
Cook in oven in shallow pan (one of those cookie sheets with sides is best, but I've cooked them in a casserole dish as well.  put down foil to make cleanup easier).

They are awesome.